Shelf construction



Dec. 22, 1936. A R CONSTANTINE ET AL 2,065,116

SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1954 A find/ 6w Q. Geacie hydrator compartment.

Patented Dec. 22, 1936 NiTED ST|ATES PATENT OFFICE SHELF CONSTRUCTION Application February 23, 1934, Serial No. 712,564

9 Claims.

Our invention relates in general to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerators for storing and preserving substances containing considerable moisture, for instance leguminous edibles.

An important object is to provide a refrigerato-r having a hydrator compartment for the cold storage of green vegetables and other moisture-containing substances in crisp fresh condition without appreciable loss of moisture.

Another object is to provide a shelf for a refrigerator,having a portion forming a cover for a Another object is to provide a refrigerator having a. hydrator compartment including acover formed to provide a refrigerator shelf portion.

Another object is to provide a shelf for a refrigerator having a built-in portion forming a part of a hydrator casing whereby said builtin portion may perform the double function of a shelf and a casing closure.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator shelf comprising a grid-like shelf portion and having a sheet metal portion forming a continuation of the shelf provided by the grid-like portion, said sheet metal portion also affording cover means for a container for the cold storage of moist substances without substantial moisture loss; a further object being to form the container as a pan having flanged edges and to arrange thesheet metal shelf portion with means to receive the pan edges whereby to support and form a cover for the container; a further object being to provide a device of the character mentioned wherein the container and its supporting cover may be quickly and easily removed from operative position as for cleaning purposes.

A still further object is to form the pan and its support in a manner permitting relative sliding therebetween to uncover and permit access to the pan.

Our invention, further, includes numerous other objects, advantages and functions, not specifically mentioned herein, which will become apparent as the invention is more fully understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator containing a hydrator embodying our present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view in perspective showing the parts of the hydrator and shelf construction embodying our present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the hydrator container and shelf elements in assembled operative position;

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional viewsvtaken substantially and respectively along the lines 4-4 and 5-5 in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of the shelf structure showing a modified form embodying our invention.

To illustrate our invention, we have shown on the drawing a refrigerator ll provided with means forming a readilyaccessible storage container I! which is particularly well adapted for the cold storage of moist substances, such as vegetables, without substantial moisture loss.

While the novel features of our present invention may be applied to any form of refrigerating apparatus, we have, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, shown a refrigerator ll having a cold storage compartment I9 having a door 2|] and in which is positioned a cooling unit 2| of any desired construction, the unit shown comprising a refrigerant evaporator or boiler which may form a part of a refrigerant circulating system including a power driven compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve connected together and with the evaporator 2| by suitable conduit means so that a suitable refrigerating medium in gaseous condition may be drawn from the evaporator into the compressor, compressed and delivered in gaseous condition, under pressure, to the condenser in which the compressed refrigerant is cooled and changed to liquid form. In such a system, the liquefied refrigerant is delivered, from the condenser, through the expansion valve to the evaporator 2| in which the refrigerant evaporates or boils and changes to the gaseous state while absorbing heat from the walls of the evaporator and the surrounding atmosphere in the compartment I9, and thus accomplishing the refrigerating function before being returned to the compressor in repeating the refrigerating cycle.

In the refrigerator'illustrated, the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and the motive means for driving the compressor may be conveniently located in a compartment beneath the storage compartment l9 and connected with the evaporator 2| by suitable conduit means extending in the walls of the cabinet.

The compartment may be provided with one or more shelves l3 in heat exchange relationship with the atmosphere therein, which shelves, with I thelower horizontal wall of the compartment,

form means for supporting 'materialto be refrigerated in compact horizontal layers in order emciently to utilize the cold storage space within the compartment I9.

In a device of the character described, refrigeration is accomplished by the circulation of air within the cold storage compartment in the vicinity of the cooling unit 2|. Moisture contained in the circulating air is likely to accumulate upon the cooling unit 2| in the form of frost and thus be removed from the chilled atmosphere, the moisture content or humidity of which may thus be reduced to such an extent that moisture-containing materials, such as green vegetables, will become dry and lifeless and lose entirely the original crispness if stored for any length of time in the dehydrated atmosphere. In order to provide for the storage of moisture containing materials in the dry atmosphere of the compartment without appreciable moisture loss in the stored materials, and, in the case of vegetables, to preserve their original fresh crispness by maintaining their moisture content substantially unimpaired, we provide the receptacle I1 which, when in normal material storing position is sumciently en'- closed to prevent appreciable circulation of chilled air in contact with the stored material. The container however is readily accessible and may be manipulated to instantly afford access: to the contents thereof.

The receptacle I1 preferably comprises a relatively shallow 'pan or box having an open top and having outstanding flanges 5| at the upper edges of its side walls.'- We provide means to suspend the receptacle under a cover I5 which is preferably stationarily mounted in the compartment, the same having means to receive the flanges 5| in order to support the container in place. The container thus comprises a sort of drawer adapted to be drawn out from beneath the cover I5 in order to afiord access to the container, and we prefer also to form the cover so that it may comprise a shelf for supporting objects in contact with the dry circulating air of the refrigerator. In order to most readily accom- .plish our purpose, we form the cover I5 as a part same time, the container I1 is slidably suspended in a manner permitting it to be drawn out from 25, the spacing members 21 and 28 being connected between the members 23 and 25 at or near their opposite ends, while the spacing member 29 is connected between the rods 23 and 25 intermediate their ends. The intermediate spacing member 29 and the spacing member 28' at one end of the shelf are also interconnected, intermediate their ends, by spaced apart members 3| extending parallel to the main frame members 23 and 25, and these members 3|, together with the portions of the members 23 and 25, support said members 33 providing, with the members 28,

29, and 3|, a grid-like shelf portion 35. The cover portion I5 preferably comprises an integral sheet metal plate 31, one edge of which is formed with a curled flange 39, adapted to rest upon the main frame member 23 between the spacing members 21 and 29. The edge of the member 31, opposite the curled edge 39, is formed with a depending flange 4|, which is cut away as at 43 to permit forwardly curved portions 45 formed in the frame ,member 25, between the spacing members 21 and 29, to enter beneath the plate 31 and thus support its 'rearmost portions. a The side edges of the plate 31 are also forme with depending flanges 41, the lower edges of which extend inwardly to provide sliding ways for receiving the outwardly extending flanges 5| of the container I1, which thus may be slidingly supported from the member 31 and movable to a position in which said member forms a cover for the open top of the container, the flange 4|, at the rear of the member 41, forming a stop for limiting the rearward movement of the container with respect to said member 31. It will be-apparent, however, that the container may be drawn forwardly beneath the curled edge 38 of the cover and under the frame member 23, on which it rests to a position permitting access to the interior'of the container. 'The body of the plate 31 is preferably embossed as at 53 in order to simulate a continuation of the grid-like shelf structure provided by the rods 3| and bars 33,

21 and 28 as at 51 and formed to engage supports 55 carried on the interior walls of the compartment I9 for the purpose of supporting thesuitable fashion and we prefer to form the same as a sheet steel element coated with vitreous enamel in order to facilitate cleaning. The container also may be of enameled steel and both container and cover may be quickly and easily removed for'cleaning.

In Figure 6 of the drawing, we' have shown a modified construction wherein the spacing members 21 and 29 are provided with :spaced-apart oppositely extending hooks 58 in position toextend beneath'the flanges 41' of the cover member when the same is in place in the opening 30 defined by the main frame member 23 and 25 and the spacing members Hand 29 for the purpose of affording additional support at the flange side edges of the cover. not interfere with the mounting of the cover member but they do afiord means adapted to cooperate with the flanges 5| of the container I1 for the purpose of supporting the same on the shelf member I3 after the cover I5 is removed, which permits the container I1 to be used as a bulk storage device for materials which are not subject 'to deterioration if exposed to the dehydrated atmosphere within the compartment I9. When it is desired to store material of such character, the cover I5 is demounted and the container I1 is hung directly on the hooks 58.

An important advantage resides in the formation of the cover I5 as a readily demountable shelf portion, which permits the shelf I3 to be used in the refrigerator compartment with the container Theseaholding hooks 58 do as for instance, bottles and other items having a height greater than the vertical distance between adjacent shelves or between the bottom wall of the compartment l9 and the lowermost shelf, are stored in the compartment l9 with their lower portions resting upon a lower supporting member and the upper portions extending through the opening 30, which is left unobstructed by the removal of the cover l5 and the container I1.

I The composite shelf I 3 is of relatively simple construction and can be cheaply and easily manufactured by well known wire-bending and fabricating processes. The sheet metal portions 31 also can be easily and cheaply manufactured by a simple stamping operation. The parts may be readily assembled by simply dropping the sheet metal element 31 in place within the opening defined between the mainframe members 23 and 25, and the spacing members 21 and 29. The parts may be as readily separated in order to facilitate cleaning operations and the structure when assembled is relatively strong and rugged enough to operate satisfactorily as a shelf throughout its entire area, the embossments 53, formed in the member 31, serving to increase the rigidity of the cover portion l5 so that the structure has adequate strength to serve as a shelf as well as to support the container I1 in the manner intended. Moist materials stored in the compartment I! will, because of the substantial exclusion of the dried refrigerating atmosphere from the compartment I 9, be maintained substantially in their original condition without impairing their moisture content.

Numerous other objects, advantages, and inherent functions of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description to those familiar with the art of refrigeration and it will be obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the forms herein described being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising spaced apart frame members defining an opening, imperforate cover means supported on said frame members and extending in said opening in position to support materials thereon and flanged support means on said cover means and adapted to suspend beneath said cover means, a container having an open top and marginal flanges adapted to slidingly engage the flanged support means whereby the same may form. a

closure for the container and prevent circulation.

of air into said container through its open top.

2. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising spaced apart frame members defining an opening, means carried by said frame members in position to form a grill-like shelf portion adjacent said opening, cover means supported on said frame members and extending in said opening in position to form an imperforate shelf portion comprising an extension of said grilllike portion, said cover means being formed with integral means to suspendingly receive a container having an open top beneath said imperforate shelf portion whereby the same may form a closure for the container substantially preventing circulation of air through the open top of the container.

3. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising spaced apart frame members defining an opening, means carried by said frame members in position to form a grill-like shelf portion adjacent said opening, cover means comprising a metallic sheet having front and rear edge portions formed'for removable sheet supporting engagement on said frame members, said cover means extending in said opening adjacent said grill-like portion and having its opposed side edges formed to provide depending flanges adaptved to supportingly receive a container having an open top beneath said cover means whereby the same may form a closure for the container.

4. A shelf structure for a refrigerator com+ prising a substantially grill-like portion and a substantially imperforate plate providing a shelf portion removably supported by the grill-like portion substantially in the plane thereof and forming therewith a continuous shelf, a container having an open top, integral means at the opposed edges of said plate for supporting the container in sliding relationship with the underside thereof whereby the same may form a cover for the open top of the container.

5. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising an integral frame including a grill-like shelf portion, means forming a removable plate detachably mounted on said frame adjacent said grill-like portion and forming therewith a continuous shelf, and means on said plate and removable therewith for supporting a container having an open top beneath said imperforate plate whereby the same may form a closure for said container.

6. A shelf structure fora refrigerator comprising an integral frame including a grill-like shelf portion and an adjacent portion forming an opening, means forming an imperforate plate detachably mounted on said frame in said opening adjacent said grill-like portion and forming therewith a continuing shelf portion, said imperforate plate being readily removable to permit the use of the frame in a refrigerator as a shelf having an opening through which relatively tall articles supported beneath said frame may extend without interfering with the shelf, said plate having integral marginal flanges adapted to receive corresponding flanges at the edge of a box-like container whereby said plate may, when mounted on said frame, serve to support a container therebeneath in order that the plate may serve as a cover for the container.

'7. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising a frame having a grill-like portion pro viding a shelf, said frame defining an opening adjacent said grill-like portion and having means to support a removable shelf portion in said opening in position to form an extension of the shelf provided by said grill-like portion, and means on said removable shelf portion to suspendingly support a container thereunder, said shelf supporting means serving to directly support the container in said opening after removal of said removable shelf portion from said frame.

8. A shelf structure for a refrigerator comprising in combination an integral frame adapted to be mounted in the refrigerator and defining an opening and an adjacent grill-like shelf portion, means comprising an imperforate plate de-mountably assembled on said frame in said opening and forming with said grill-like portion a continuous shelf, a shelf box having mar-J5 9.-A shelf structure for a refrigerator coni-. prising a frame adapted to be stationarily susv pended within a refrigerator compartment, said frame having a grill-like shelf portion, a substantially impervious plate forming a shelf 'portion removably mounted in said frame adjacent said grill-like shelf portion, a container having an open top and impervious side walls, and means to slidingly suspend the container with its open top beneath said impervious plate whereby the plate forms a cover for said con-. tainer and forms therewith a compartment sub-.

stantially closed against the circulation of air into and out of the compartment, said support means permitting the sliding withdrawal of the container from beneath said plate in order to permit access to said compartment with the shifting of the plate in said frame, said support means being carried by said plate and removable therewith from said frame.

ARTHUR R. coN's'raNTmE. ANDREW A. GEDDE. 

